Common misconceptions about Tennessee’s new Concealed Carry Permit
Since we started Tennessee-Carry, we’ve received a lot of comments and questions about the new Concealed Carry permit that need clarification. I’m going to respond to the most common ones in this article but if you doubt my answers I would advise you to call the Tennessee Handgun Call Center at 615.251.8590 to verify with them or to ask further questions. The call center was set up to respond to Tennessee residents with questions about it’s carry permit laws and regulations. They’ve been incredibly helpful to us during our process of setting up the course and I have no doubt they’ll be helpful to you as well.
Can you get a concealed carry permit online?
Short answer? Yes. The long answer is complicated. You can take the Tennessee Concealed Carry course and test online. You then take that certification and use it along with some other documents to apply for your permit from the state at the DMV. You’ll then get fingerprinted and wait for your permit to come in the mail. It’s all perfectly legal and about 13,000 Tennessee residents have already gone this route this year.
Is Tennessee’s Concealed Carry Permit only good in Tennessee?
This is a response we get a lot from folks on Facebook and the answer is “No”. Tennessee’s new Concealed Carry Permit, as of this article, is recognized by 34 other states. The state sent out letters to all 50 states informing them of the intention to create a new permit and a lot of them have been slow to respond. With that being said, some did and the list on the TN.gov website is up to date. There are 2 states that chose not to recognize the new concealed carry permit but continue to recognize the enhanced carry permit with those being North Dakota and Nebraska. Don’t let anyone tell you that the concealed carry permit is only good in Tennessee because that’s just not true. Before you travel however, you need to call ahead to that state to make sure you’re legal with your new permit.
Does the DMV accept online carry permit training?
Yes. Tennessee’s DMV will accept your certificate received from an online training course. There are some other documents that you need to have before you go and you need to make sure you’re going to a full service DMV but they are bound by law to accept a certificate from an online training company. If a person at the DMV tells you it’s not legitimate, you need to call the handgun call center immediately and report the error.
Do you have to handle a firearm or perform a shooting qualification for the concealed carry permit?
The answer to this one is a simple no. Like it or not, the new law for the concealed carry permit allows you to just watch a training video and take a test without ever handling a firearm. While we recognize this can be very convenient for some residents, we strongly encourage you to take the money you saved by getting a concealed carry permit and get some in-person training.
Can you open carry in Tennessee without a permit?
No. In Tennessee, if you’re going to carry a firearm in public, you must have some sort of carry permit, concealed or enhanced.
Did Tennessee just pass “Constitutional” or permitless carry?
No. That law is currently in a finance sub-committee and Tennessee’s legislator is getting ready to adjourn for the year. That law hopefully will pass in 2021 but it won’t be any sooner. You will still need some sort of permit to carry on your person in public.
Hopefully that cleared up some of the questions and concerns floating around. If you still have an issue that you need resolved regarding the new concealed carry permit, please contact the Tennessee carry permit call center at 615.251.8590.